In 2012, approximately 132 dental practices nationwide were
inspected for OSHA violations. The total
number of offices visited by inspectors is 2013 is not tallied yet, but in
Practicon’s home state of North Carolina, inspections had increased almost 34%
by fall 2013 over the same period of 2012.
Most OSHA inspections are very thorough, assessing all
safety issues in the office. First and
second place in the number of citations issued and fines levied belong to (1)
Bloodborne Pathogen Standards and (2) Hazard Communication Standards
respectively.
A couple of reminders concerning Bloodborne Pathogen
Standards: The Hepatitis B vaccination
must be made available free of charge to all staff members exposed to blood and
other body fluids within 10 working days after training is completed and a work
position is assigned. Within one to two
months following the last vaccine dosage, titers are required to assure the
vaccinated team member is protected. If
a staff member refuses to be vaccinated, she/he should sign a written
declination to be retained in that employee’s confidential personnel/medical
file.
A formal training
program must be provided for all staff members at risk of exposure, including
the dentists, per the Bloodborne Pathogen Standard Rules. Training must occur at the time of hiring and
annually thereafter. Maintain a log of
training provided in each employee’s confidential personnel/medical file. Go to www.OSHA.gov
for more information on these and other OSHA standards.
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